


The Ghost of You

by can_i_slytherin



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Lives, Canon Temporary Character Death, F/M, Force Dyad (Star Wars), Force Healing, Redeemed Ben Solo, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22055146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/can_i_slytherin/pseuds/can_i_slytherin
Summary: A TRoS fix-it fic in which Ben Solo lives and gets the ending that he deserved.
Relationships: Leia Organa & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Leia Organa & Rey, Luke Skywalker & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey & Luke Skywalker, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 71





	The Ghost of You

**Author's Note:**

> This was written really quickly, and not beta'd, so it might be a little bad. But, please feel free to leave a comment and/or kudos

Ben landed at the bottom of the ravine, his breath rushing from his lungs as he made contact with the solid floor, and whimpered in pain, his eyes slipping shut against the onslaught of torment. He let out a shaky breath, trying to summon the strength to climb back up to Rey, and gritted his teeth as he rolled over onto his stomach, blatantly ignoring the rush of agony that spread through his limbs- his body screeching in protest as he pulled himself onto his hands and knees. 

His chest heaved with every breath, his stomach curling in discomfort, and his body shuddered as a wave of coughs racked through his body. His mouth tasted metallic and warm and he spat onto the concrete below him, blood splashing across the grey surface before him. He winced and turned his head away, eyelids fluttering gently as he fought against another wave of pain. 

As he moved to push himself to his feet, his arms buckled and he was left sprawled across the solid ground, with no strength and a heart full of dread. 

He closed his eyes, trying to slow his breathing and relax his body, and turned to his back-up plan, hoping that it would work. 

“ _ Be with me… _ ” He whispered, calling out to his ancestors with his heart and soul, “I know I don’t deserve it, but  _ be with me.  _ Please.” 

Ben felt a familiar warmth spread through him and he turned his head as a gentle blue light spread out across the foggy ravine, his gaze landing on the ghost surrounding him. 

“We’re here, son.” His mother, Leia, whispered, her hand coming to rest atop his head as she crouched down next to him. 

“You’ve done well, Ben.” His grandfather stepped forward next, his hand settling atop Leia’s, “I’m proud of you.” He turned to look at another woman, his grandmother, and smiled when she too stepped forward to place her hand next to his own, “We both are.”

Luke was the next to step towards him, an air of hesitance settling in his shoulders, and Ben winced, looking up at the older man with an apologetic look, “Even when we were on opposing sides, I still loved you. I’m here now, I will stay and give you strength. We all will.” 

Ben smiled, tears slipping down his cheeks as he regarded his family, an ache settling in his chest when he realised that this exchange could quite possibly be the last, “Thank you,” he whispered, his voice cracking, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I will spend a lifetime repenting for my sins against the Jedi. I will do all I can to deserve my place in the afterlife with all of you.” 

His mother smiled, as did his grandfather, and they all closed their eyes, transferring pieces of their life force into him to heal his wounds.

“We’ve healed what we can,” Anakin whispered, brushing some hair from Ben’s eyes, “we need to conserve energy for what is to come.” 

Ben threw him a confused look and growled in frustration when Anakin simply smiled knowingly and stepped away. He took a deep breath, feeling a twinge in his knee as he pushed himself to his feet, and turned back to his family with an anxious look. 

“Will you stay with me?” He whispered. 

Luke smiled and curled a hand around his shoulder, squeezing gently, “Until the very end. Now, get up there. Rey needs you.” 

At the mention of the brown-haired girl, Ben shot up like a rocket, running towards the walls of the pit with renewed energy, and began to climb, using what little strength he had to propel himself up the side of the ravine. He reached the top in record time, ignoring the way that his body screeched in protest, and slapped a heavy hand down onto the top of the dip, pulling himself over the edge with a gentle huff of pain. 

He scrambled to his feet, gaze narrowing in onto Rey’s prone form, and his heart hammered against his chest, stomach turning over as he prayed that Rey was okay. He staggered forward, dragging his injured knee behind him, and winced when a twinge of pain shot through him. His knee gave way, sending him tumbling towards the ground, and he cursed under his breath, shaking away the pain as he began to crawl towards Rey. 

His head spun as he approached her, his heart dropping into the pit of his stomach when he noticed the lack of life in her eyes. Ben whimpered, settling into a more comfortable position, and pulled Rey’s limp body into his arms, cradling her head as he pulled her close to his chest. He pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled- letting the earthy but somehow floral scent wash over him in calming waves. 

He felt sick and uneasy, his hands shaking and breath coming out in heavy pants. His eyes stung with unshed tears and he swallowed around the lump in his throat. He felt nauseous and lost, sitting there for a moment or two, holding Rey against his chest with a fierce, protective grip. He felt numb as he stared down at her unmoving body and, suddenly, felt the presence of another. 

He turned his head, smiling gently as his mother approached from the distance, her hazy blue light washing over him in soft waves. Behind her came Luke, Anakin and Padme, followed by a small green man-  _ Yoda _ \- and at least thirty other previous Jedi that Ben hardly recognised. 

He stared up at his mother with teary eyes, trying to find strength within the depth of blue contained within her eyes, “I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.” 

“Want to leave her you do not.” Yoda whispered, humming thoughtful and nodding in understanding. 

“I’ve only just got her, I can’t afford to lose her, not now. Master Yoda,” Ben pleaded, staring up at the small creature with hopeful eyes, “what do I do?” 

“Do nothing you must.” He replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he stared around at his companions with a knowing smile. 

The ex-supreme leader spluttered indignantly, “Well, I can’t just let her die!” 

“Die she will not.” The elderly master nodded gently, humming softly to himself, “Help we will.” 

“How?” 

Yoda threw him a pointed look and turned to look at Leia with a fond smile, “His father he is like. Forgetful, no?” 

“In the face of tragedy, people often forget vital pieces of information.” Leia replied, a gentle sparkle in her eyes. 

Ben furrowed his eyebrows, staring around the generations of Jedi that surrounded him, and opened his mouth to speak, stopping when Yoda silenced him by raising a small, green hand. 

“Stay quiet you must. Let us help you will.” 

Ben felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look up at his grandfather, “Will you let go of her for a moment?” Ben’s grip tightened a fraction and Anakin noticed the gesture with a fond, understanding smile, “I know you don’t want to, but she has to be let go if we are to help her.” 

Ben took a deep breath, steadily relinquishing his grip on her, and shuffled backwards, allowing the Jedis past to help her in whatever way they could. He watched, with bated breath, as they surrounded her, placing their hands on various parts of her body. Those who couldn’t reach her placed their hands on each other, all closing their eyes as they let their energy transfer from them into Rey. 

Suddenly, Rey’s skin regained colour and she took a deep, gasping breath, her chest shuddering with the force of it. She blinked her eyes open, staring around with a clouded gaze, and smiled gently when her gaze landed on Ben- who was sitting a few centimetres away. 

He scrambled over to her, tugging her close to his chest, and cried softly into her hair, relishing in the warmth that radiated from her body, “Rey…” 

She pushed gently against his chest, laughing softly, and cupped his cheek, wiping his tears away with her thumb, “Ben.” She gasped, urgency and passion lacing her voice. 

She surged up, pressing her lips against Ben’s, and kissed him with all the strength that she possessed, pouring every emotion that she felt into the slide of her lips against his. Ben’s grip on her tightened, his arms coming to wrap around her waist, and he relaxed into the kiss, relieved that he could share this moment with her. 

She pulled away, breathlessly giggling, and opened her eyes, staring deep into Ben’s- her smile widening when he grinned at her in return. He laughed gently, tipping his head forward to rest their foreheads together, and gently knocked their noses together. 

“How…?” She whispered, her voice scratchy and rough from disuse. 

Ben pulled back, gesturing around them at the multitude of ghosts that had come to their rescue, “I had a little help.” 

“You-” 

“ _ They. _ ” Ben corrected, chuckling at Rey’s pointed look. 

“ _ They  _ brought me back?” She whispered, staring around at the group of Jedi with a thankful grin. Ben nodded, “Thank you. Thank you.” 

“A force dyad is rare, we haven’t seen one in centuries. It is something that must be protected. We could not have Ben Solo sacrificing himself for the Force Dyad would die with him.” An older man- Obi-Wan Kenobi- explained. 

“Some of us-” Leia spoke up, “did it for personal reasons whilst  _ others, _ ” She threw a pointed glare at Obi-Wan before continuing, “chose that reason. I could bare to see either of you unhappy or dead. It was a small price to pay for your happiness.” 

“What do we do now?” Rey whispered, glancing briefly at Ben- who pulled her closer by a fraction. 

Luke laughed, shaking his head, “Go explore the galaxy! See and do things that you want to. The war is over, the First Order has been defeated, you are free to do as you please. Take your freedom and use it!” 

“I’ve always wanted to go to Naboo.” Ben whispered, sharing a soft look with his Grandmother. 

Rey snapped her head towards him, “Let’s do that then.” 

Leia and Luke shared a knowing look before nodding gently at each other and Leia spoke up, “Our time here is coming to a close, my dears, we must get going.” 

“What? Why?” Rey whispered, her heart hammering against her chest, “There’s so much left unsaid, so many questions left unanswered.” 

“If you are supposed to know the answer, then you will discover it for yourself.” Luke whispered, taking his sisters hand in his own as they began to steadily fade from sight, “As for why we must leave, it’s because our mission has been completed and we must pass on from this world into the next.” 

“See us again you will.” Yoda whispered, disappearing with a gentle breeze. 

“But not too soon.” Padme added, taking Anakin’s hand as she too began to vanish. 

“Live your life, first.” Anakin whispered, ruffling Ben’s hair before he disappeared as well, joining his wife in the next plane of existence. 

“I’m not ready.” Rey whispered to Luke and Leia, tears gathering in her eyes. 

“Nobody ever is, but it is a part of life, young one.” Luke whispered, gently patting her head, “We all must go.” 

Rey smiled, “I don’t want to say goodbye.” 

“So, don’t.” Leia whispered, a gentle smile on her lips, “Instead, say: see you later.” She turned to her son, who had been watching the exchange with tear-filled eyes, “Ben, my son. My boy. You’re so brave. I’m so proud of you.” 

“Mom…” He whispered, “I love you.” 

Leia smiled gently, reaching out to cup his cheek and wipe at his tears, “I know.” 

Ben laughed, a wet-sounding noise, and shook his head, “Just like dad.” 

“Who do you think he got it from?” Leia teased, “We must go now.” She addressed both of them now, “You will see us again one day, but until then: may the force be with you.” 

“And with you, always.” Rey and Ben whispered in unison, clutching onto each other with too-strong grips as their mentors and family disappeared from sight. 

Ben buried his face in Rey’s hair, inhaling her scent, and smiled when she nuzzled into his chest, a hand resting over his heart. 

Somehow, even in the chaos of an ending battle, two halves of a whole found their way back together, completing a set that had been incomplete for many years and a new story began, on a familiar planet, with a girl and a boy with familiar names, that would be told for centuries to come. 


End file.
